Terrain types visited in the FROG mission sites | FROG: Fun Robotic Outdoor Guide

FROG robot on its stainless steel docking station, surrounded by wood laminate floor

A robot like FROG meets various terrain types in its scenarios. The robot must maintain a good performance on all of these terrains and while moving from one to the other. Safety issues raised by the terrain types for the visitors that may follow the FROG are not a matter that the FROG project has to deal with. However, the fact that these are sites that draw many visitors does mean that these terrains are well-maintained. Both sites have outdoor areas that may be wet due to rain, cleaning operations or irrigation of the plants.

The outdoor and indoor areas that the FROG visits on its missions at the Royal Alcazar in Seville and in the Lisbon Zoo present the following types and conditions.

At the Royal Alcázar, none of the surfaces that the FROG robot has to traverse are loose laid. All outdoor paving materials are set in concrete. The gaps between bricks or stones are filled with concrete. Some grouting is flat, some has profiling lines as if drawn with a finger in wet cement. Indoors, some marble or tiled floors are grouted with special materials. Other (marble) tiles are laid so close together and what little grouting there is is so highly smoothed that, to the touch, there is only one surface.

Both indoor and outdoor surfaces are kept scrupulously clean – most of the work being done in the early morning before visitors arrive and maintained to a high standard during the day. Even the numerous pigeons nesting in the crevices of the outside walls only manage to accummulate a small number of droppings …

Along the wall in the Lion's Courtyard — Along the wall in the Lion’s Courtyard

… before this happens:

Mission terrains – Royal Alcázar, Seville

After moving from the stainless steel docking station, the robot turns and leaves the shop with its wooden laminate floor passing over a stainless steel strip and a brick doorstep, onto a checkered courtyard of natural flagstones and cobbles set in concrete.

FROG making the transition from wood laminate over a brick doorstep onto flagstone/cobble chequer courtyard

From there the mission moves into the Lion’s Courtyard, moving from a chequer of flagstones and cobbles in concrete, across bricks laid in concrete and onto smooth red bricks laid in concrete in a herringbone pattern.

transition from herringbone laid red bricks in concrete, over dark red bricks laid in line in concrete, to flagstones and chequer flagstones / cobbles in concrete

overview red herringbone laid bricks in concrete

drain cover set in smooth red bricks herringbone laid

The herringbone laid smooth red bricks continue through the arches (down an incline of 3°) into the Hunting Court – and area of herringbone laid dark red brick fields between smooth white stone slab borders.

transition from herringbone laid smooth red bricks in concrete to fields of rougher dark red bricks herringbone laid in concrete between smooth white stone slab dividing lines - including 2 custom-made drain covers — transition from herringbone laid smooth red bricks in concrete to fields of rougher dark red bricks herringbone laid in concrete between smooth white stone slab dividing lines – including 2 custom-made drain covers

fields of rougher dark red bricks herringbone laid in concrete between smooth white stone slab dividing lines - including 2 custom-made drain covers — fields of rougher dark red bricks herringbone laid in concrete between smooth white stone slab dividing lines – including 2 custom-made drain covers

On leaving the Hunting Courtyard, the mission continues between curved curbs and up a 6° incline into a covered walkway.

one of the curbs before the covered walkway

slightly inclined transition from fields of rougher dark red bricks herringbone laid in concrete between smooth white stone slab dividing lines to fields of cobbles laid in concrete between flagstone slabs

Looking up:

overview of inclined transition from herringbone laid dark red bricks to covered path of cobble fields between flagstones all set in concrete

Looking down:

stone flags / fields of cobbles in concrete

In the middle of this walkway there is a section of pattern laid cobblestones in concrete marking the position of gates leading onto the Crossing Courtyard.

cobblestone fields laid between radial brick lines / stone flags / lines of cobblestones - all laid in concrete — cobblestone fields laid between radial brick lines / stone flags / lines of cobblestones – all laid in concrete

transition from patterned cobblestones in concrete over row of stone flags onto herringbone pattern laid brick with deep-set gate wheel tracks with wooden fillers

overview of herringbone laid brick Crossing Court showing gate wheel gutters with wooden fillers

Looking back to the gates:

Detail of one of the raised air vent grates along the path:

drain grate in raised brick surround along herringbone laid brick path — air vent grate in raised brick surround along herringbone laid brick path

At the other end of the Crossing Courtyard there is a covered space – one of the potential spots for projection presentations.

transition from yellow brick, herringbone laid in concrete, to glazed tiles, herringbone laid

air vent grate in glazed tiles (with an interesting view of the floor below)

transition from the Crossing Courtyard's yellow brick onto 3-coloured marble tiles. Please not that this door is set in a larger door and that the whole is opened for the robot thus removing this wooden door sill — transition from the Crossing Courtyard’s yellow brick onto 3-coloured marble tiles. Please not that this door is set in a larger door and that the whole is opened for the robot thus removing this wooden door sill

The route now passes from outdoors onto the close-laid marble floor in Tapestry Room.

three colours of marble laid close in a regular pattern - no gaps — three colours of marble laid close in a regular pattern – no gaps

And from the Tapestry Room to the Vault Room.

transition from marble tiles to marble tiles with glazed tile patterns — transition from marble tiles to marble tiles with glazed ceramic tile pattern

marble tiles with glazed ceramic tile pattern

wheelchair ramp to mount step in marble tile floor with glazed tile pattern

detail of anti-slip surface of the wheelchair ramp and the transition to the marble step

The marble and ceramic tile surface continues…

… to where the route goes outdoors to one of the possible end points of the mission.

transition from marble with glazed tile pattern, over flagstones surround, to chequer: flagstone/cobbles in concrete

chequer: flagstones/cobbles in concrete with inset drain cover

finalizing the scenario for the end of the mission

And from this end point, back to the lab.

from chequer flagstone/cobbles in concrete to natural flagstones

overview of covered walkway with natural flagstones

transition from natural flagstones to lightly glazed tiles laid in herringbone pattern

the floor of the 'lab' is covered in close-laid marble — the floor of the ‘lab’ is covered in close-laid marble

Hazards that need to be avoided by simply telling the navigation: “Don’t go there!”

Fountain in the Lion's Courtyard — Fountain in the Lion’s Courtyard

deep ditches in the Crossing Courtyard — deep ditches in the Hunting Courtyard

Mission terrains – Lisbon Zoo

The terrains encountered at the Lisbon Zoo are somewhat more rugged. The FROG first has to drive from one of the two lab locations to the start of the mission.

Lab near the Main Entrance — Lab 1 near the Main Entrance – polished concrete

The floor of the lab accommodation near the Main Entrance of the Zoo is polished concrete while the lab accommodation in the Educational Department is covered with green Marmoleum.

Lab in the Educational Department - green Marmoleum. — Lab 2 in the Educational Department – green Marmoleum.

There are various sorts of paving outside lab 1 – both stone and brick – leading on to a wide variety of surfaces.

Outside lab 1 - diverse paving — Outside lab 1 – diverse paving

Route from lab 1 - brick and stone-slab paving, grates, custom-made drain covers — Route from lab 1 – brick and stone-slab paving, grates, custom-made drain covers

The route continues over a wooden bridge — The route continues over a bridge with grooved wooden decking…

... and onto more brick and Portuguese pavement. — … and onto more brick and Portuguese pavement with inset drain covers…

... towards the box office. — … towards the box office.

The route from Lab 2 starts with a wooden ramp – this is covered with an anti-slip rubber surface.

Leaving lab 2 in rainy weather – wooden ramp with anti-slip covering

Large sections of this route are paved with interlocking paving bricks.

Route from lab 2 - interlocking brick pavement — Route from lab 2 – interlocking brick pavement

Eventually the FROG reaches the the entrance to the Valley of the Tigers where the mission starts. But, of course, unlike Review committees, FROG cannot climb steps.

FROG has to take the ramp.

Ramp with Portuguese pavement (calçada portuguesa)

Calçada portuguesa decoration outside the Valley of the Tigers — Calçada portuguesa or decoration outside the Valley of the Tigers

The Lisbon Zoo mission begins on large slabs set in concrete.

Start of the mission - slabs set in concrete with deep grouting. — Start of the mission – slabs set in concrete with deep grouting.

Transition from stone slabs to red coloured concrete — Transition from stone slabs to smooth concrete (painted red)

When the FROG leaves the Valley of the Tigers it passes over a section of interlocking brick paving, a grate covering a drainage channel onto a bitumen path with fine aggregate.

Interlocking brick paving, grate and fine aggregate — Interlocking brick paving, grate, bitumen with fine aggregate (and two Spanish researchers)

Looking back towards the Valley of the Tigers - — Looking back towards the Valley of the Tigers – brick paving, grate, bitumen with fine aggregate. (note the Aruco marker for localization on the litter bin)

From here the mission carries on to the Birds. This section of the route stays on bitumen with fine aggregate and has some slight inclines.

Bitumen with fine aggregate and deepest drain cover. — Bitumen with fine aggregate and deep-set drain cover.

Route to the Birds - bitumen with fine aggregate with slight incline — Route to the Birds – bitumen with fine aggregate with slight incline

Point of Interest - Birds — Point of Interest – Birds

The route continues past the Sea Lions, staying on bitumen with fine aggregate.

Passing the Sea Lions - bitumen with fine aggregate — Passing the Sea Lions – bitumen with fine aggregate

The next presentation point along the route, The Gorilla’s Belvedere, is on slightly inclined interlocking paving bricks. The FROG stops somewhere in this corner.

The route follows around to the left - interlocking brick paving — The route follows around to the left – interlocking brick paving

Interlocking paving bricks - largely obscured by the whole FROG team in November 2013. — Interlocking paving bricks – largely obscured by the whole FROG team in November 2013.

And after the corner the path climbs the slight incline, passing from interlocking paving bricks to Portuguese pavement over separating wide concrete bands.

Transition from interlocking brick paving, over concrete bands, to Portuguese pavement

A long stretch of Portuguese pavement under a pergola

At the end of the pergola the surface is once again paved with interlocking bricks

After the pergola walk, the route follows around to the right over interlocking bricks, through impressive gate posts, on towards the Primate Temple.

On towards the Primate Temple - interlocking bricks — On towards the Primate Temple – interlocking bricks

Large stone slabs laid in concrete with wide grouting and a hairpin bend at the top of the incline

Once inside the Temple, the surface is smooth concrete painted red.

On leaving the Primate Temple the route winds over a wooden separator onto large stone slabs set in concrete, quickly crossing a decorative line of glazed bricks, a drainage grate set in concrete and once again onto interlocking bricks.

A wide variety of surfaces in an S-bend in the path — At the end of the mission – a wide variety of surfaces in an S-bend in the path

The route now follows path downwards and the robot makes its way back to the starting point.

"Just making sure" - before the low-level software for steep inclines was added. — “Just making sure” – before the low-level software for steep inclines was added.

Hazards in Lisbon tend to be feathered or fluffy:

But, of course, there are also no-go areas:

Here is a film of whole FROG Tour in the Lisbon Zoo during the Second Year Review.

With thanks to the Visitor Safety in the Countryside Group for their online information on external pedestrian path surfaces!

A collaborative project under the FP7-ICT-2011.2.1 Cognitive Systems and Robotics (a), (d) area of activity.